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Reject Roland Maw to the BOF

The letter attached below will open your eyes if you are not up on what's going on with the Roland Maw confirmation.

This will affect everyone who sport fishes ...

Below are the addresses to the co-chairs of the House Resources committee and the chair of the House Fisheries committee. The confirmation hearing has been postponed due to the many letters/emails that have already been sent... Time to send more

I wanted to add my 2 cents in the hopes that Roland Maw will not be confirmed to the Board of Fish as the next Chairman or to any other position on the BOF. Where to begin? There are so many conflicts of interest involved here that it is unbelievable. Please take the time to read this email as I will try to outline all that is going on. Thank you in advance.I was saddened, shocked, outraged with Gov. Walker for the steps he took which resulted in the most unbiased BOF Chairman the State of Alaska has ever had, Judge Karl Johnstone, resigning his post. I am not sure what Gov. Walker thinks he is doing but obviously he is pandering to Commercial Fishing interests. Maybe someone should alert him to what kind of legacy a one term Governor would have. I voted for him because of his “Alaska First, It’s Time” theme. Well he is not putting Alaska or the majority of it’s Residents first with regards to his choices to run our fisheries. Sam Cotton is a long time Cook Inlet Set Netter and now he is our ADF&G Commissioner. Which way do you think he will lean in governing our fisheries?

1st... please take notice that it was the entire BOF that voted 7-0 to reject Maw’s name for consideration and confirmation to be the next Commissioner of ADF&G. That act resulted in House Speaker Mike Chenault writing a letter of complaint to the Gov. about the then Chairman of the BOF, Johnston. Why the Speaker singled out Johnston when the whole BOF voted the way they did makes no sense till you pull back the curtain and take a real look at the situation.

Speaker Chenault’s Chief of Staff, Tom Wright, is the past Executive Director of United Cook Inlet Drifters Assoc, UCIDA. Rowland Maw is the current Executive Director of this same Commercial Fisherman Assoc. Hmm, do you think that is a conflict of interest? In the past is is obvious that Speaker Chenault has been influenced by his Chief of Staff back when he submitted Brent Johnson’s name, aka East Side Set Netter in Cook Inlet, to be made a member of the BOF. His confirmation failed because of the out cry of the public for his bias toward Commercial fishing.

The letter the Speaker wrote to the Gov. about Roland Maw not being submitted by the BOF prompted him to single out Johnstone as did the Gov. upon receiving the letter which led him to call Mr. Johnstone with the threat that he would no longer be wanted on the BOF by telling him he would not be reappointed. Mr. Johnstone did the only thing a responsible and reputable man would do and tendered his resignation which the Gov. had sought and took. Then he did the unthinkable and put forth Maw’s name to replace him. The entire BOF fish voted 7-0 against Maw, does the Gov. not see that. The reason the BOF voted that way is because of the tenuous relationship it has had with Maw in the past, ie; BOF meetings in 2011. He is totally for Commercial Fishing at the determent of all the Citizens of the State of Alaska. Some of the proposals he put forth at the 2011 BOF meetings were unconscionable. He wanted to drop the limit that Alaskan Residents who dip net the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers to 10 fish for the head of each household from 25. Less than half of what it has always been. He even went so far as to submit a proposal that no dip netting from a boat should be allowed. That is going against Alaska Residents, voting residents, that dip net to get their fish for their winter food. 165,000 dip net permits were issued last year in the State of Alaska, only Residents can participate and they are VOTING RESIDENTS, please take note.

Another conflict of interest, Roland Maw donated money to Gov. Walkers election campaign. Wow. Guess you can buy the chairmanship of the BOF now.

Another conflict of interest, Roland Maw currently has two lawsuits pending that would grant control of Cook Inlet fishing to the Federal Government, take it away from the control of the State of Alaska. Is that the way we want our Alaskan Residents acting? Snubbing our State for the Federal Government? Aren’t we tired of all the BS the Federal Government has already introduced into our lives? Is this a direct conflict of the interests of the State of Alaska?

Another conflict of interest, Roland Maw currently and for the last few years has worked for ADF&G as a test net boat with his boat, (the America), he is getting paid by the State of Alaska for this work every summer. I understand he has 2 more years of contract to do that work. Wouldn’t that be another conflict of interest?

There are a number of other things that should be considered that should result in Roland Maw not being confirmed to the any position on the BOF.

1) he has lied when he recently stated he is no longer the Executive of UCIDA, however he most recent resume states that very fact.

2) his appointment in any capacity to the BOF would make an imbalance of 4 commercial fishing entities to 2 sport fishing entities and one subsistence vote. There would be an overwhelming advantage and bias toward commercial fishing on our BOF. It would set back our fisheries 30yrs.

3) there is a total breakdown with regards to Roland Maw’s idea of what Alaska’s fisheries management should be and what the rest of the BOF members management policies have been. It would disrupt future BOF meeting working relationships between the current board members. It might result in even more board members resigning. What then?

4) already there is to much influence toward commercial fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula. Just go to the Soldotna ADF&G office and before you go in the front door, look to your right and the door next to it is the door to the office of the Kenai Peninsula Fisherman’s Assoc., the largest commercial fishery Assoc. in the State of Alaska. Right in the same building!!

In Closing we will be watching how our elected officials handle this confirmation hearing. Keep in mind, the majority of the people who voted in the last elections are not only Alaskan Residents, they are sports fishermen and personal use dip netters. They far out number any commercial fishermen in our state. We live here, most of them don’t. We are here year around, most of them aren’t. We are the true Alaskans. There needs to be without question a fair and balanced Board of Fish. A new nominee who has a sport fishing back ground should be submitted and confirmed to make the board equal and balanced. That is what is fair.

You don't even know what boat he had. Had is the key word he no longer has a drift permit or boat for the Inlet. You have put your name on printed slander, not smart! More lies I hope it costs you. No facts needed! Did this come from the Penny loafers?

How refreshing to hear from someone truly concerned for the resource and the habitat, and not just another special interest lobbying for more allocation.

Yeah, I know...I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

...he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods & errors. ~Thomas Jefferson
I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. ~Gerry Spence
The last thing Alaska needs is another bigot. ~member Catch It#Resist

I was asked to pass along some information by someone who has been following this subject and has done the research to provide this letter.
I knew I was going to bring some heat by posting this, especially form the comm folks, and everybody is entitled to there own opinions. Instead of the bashing remarks or the threat of taking away some reel business, provide some intellectual information to refute the statements made on what good this man did good for the sport fisherman...I'm just saying

You should make sure you are not being used to pass lies about a person! It shows your lack of character. When will you get that the BOF is not there just for the sport fisherman. If the BOF does their job by looking out for the fish it will be better for all user groups. I'm just saying shame on you for your lack of judgement.

I was asked to pass along some information by someone who has been following this subject and has done the research to provide this letter.
I knew I was going to bring some heat by posting this, especially form the comm folks, and everybody is entitled to there own opinions. Instead of the bashing remarks or the threat of taking away some reel business, provide some intellectual information to refute the statements made on what good this man did good for the sport fisherman...I'm just saying

Right. Because you'd love nothing better than for us to waste our time refuting the total misinformation and lies in your letter rather than discussing real issues.

You should make sure you are not being used to pass lies about a person! It shows your lack of character. When will you get that the BOF is not there just for the sport fisherman. If the BOF does their job by looking out for the fish it will be better for all user groups. I'm just saying shame on you for your lack of judgement.

I would expect these remarks from you by this statement you made on another post..." You need to recheck the the catch rate in Cook Inlet last year. It was the worst I have had in the last four years. 18000lbs average. I might have to stay and fish silvers next year if we can't get on the reds." I guess you would be one of those comm guys who always wants more

Craig Medred chimed in with his two cents about Maw's appointment and background. Medred is no doubt biased but he did interview Maw and Jim Butler about Maw's claims in a 2013 affidavit about, "....numerous public awards for the first scientific description and naming of 'Bull Trout' as a new species of char/trout." When asked about this by Medred, Maw said, "That's in an affidavit? I signed it? I'd have to look and see exactly what that wording is."

Yes that is what I might have to do, if I don't catch more reds then last year. I would love nothing more then to be able to get done by the 30th of July. I run away from silvers every chance I can, but when you have to pay the bills 60 cents a pound is better then nothing.

I know better than to trust anything that any invested person has to say about the fish wars, including intrepid investigative journalist Craig Medred. However, if you read that article, this is the 2nd time in the past two weeks or so that Maw has used the fact that he doesn't have a personal email address as an excuse for something.

Seriously, I want to give some credit to you old timers who have trouble with computers and fuel ignition, but I question the commitment that somebody has towards representing a diverse user base if they can't even go to the trouble of setting up an email account to communicate with constituents and nosy reporters.

Now your responding to posts to other forum members... You still haven't constructively replied to the original post with any information to support Mr Maws confirmation to the BOF. Do you feel threatened by him not being confirmed that you feel the need to spread the word to your other people to take away business from me, to inflict monetary revenge? True colors are showing, now that's a shame

Reel Bob obviously cannot think for himself. The article is full of lies and misinformation and trying to respond just promotes the discussion. Anyone who write and post what Reel bob posted should be banned from the forum. It is not about opinion. One can say they do not want Dr. Maw but when they slander him with false information they crossed the ethics line. Therefore, they are actually worst than the person they are attacking.

That is what has happened here because of UCI allocation issues and the lack of ethics in the group trying to derail Dr. Maw. They make up issues that have no foundation. Just for the record Dr. Maw resigned from UCIDA days after the election. Contributing to a Gov. political fund is part of our political system and is not a conflict of interest, being a commercial fisherman is not a sin, there is conflict of interest statement each BOF member makes at the start of a meeting and if there is a confliict the BOF can rule the individual cannot participate, the other BOF members may go and maybe they should as the Gov and the public, including the sport fishing community have testified the BOF process is broken - new members may be what is needed, if one wants to look at the existing BOF members for conflicts maybe digging into free fishing trips and lodging would be a place to start, Dr Maw is well qualified as a scientist so attacking him there is a fools game relative to the other Board member qualifications, and the list goes on.

Reel bob you have no ethics in posting this and you asked for reasons to refute your comments. The ethical approach would have been for you to verify your comments with facts before posting them. This reflects on you more than Dr. Maw.

Another conflict of interest, Roland Maw donated money to Gov. Walkers election campaign. Wow. Guess you can buy the chairmanship of the BOF now.

This really isn't a very valid criticism. Johnstone donated $50 less (by my account) to Walker than did Maw. If Walker is making decisions based upon $600 political contributions, we have bigger problems lurking than Roland Maw

Well gee Bob, there is so much erroneous and spurious information in your letter, I don't know where to start. But I'll make you a deal. If you can prove just your first and last claims, I will go ahead and waste my time proving that everything else in-between is nefarious. So...

What evidence is there that Johnstone was the "most unbiased BOF Chairman the State of Alaska ever had"?

What evidence is there that the Board of Fish must be "equal and balanced" between sport fish and commercial fish?

I was asked to pass along some information by someone who has been following this subject and has done the research to provide this letter.
I knew I was going to bring some heat by posting this, especially form the comm folks, and everybody is entitled to there own opinions. Instead of the bashing remarks or the threat of taking away some reel business, provide some intellectual information to refute the statements made on what good this man did good for the sport fisherman...I'm just saying

EVERYONE has an agenda. So, my question is who originally wrote this? Who are you passing this on for?